Tears in the window
by slapshack
Summary: The world is brutal. Monsters roam the land, making everyday life a question. Will I die today? For most people are always looking over their shoulder in fear and despair. But, this is not always the case. People called "Guilders" adventure out, exploring dungeons and bringing the fight to the creatures. Van is a guilder. This is his story upon many, that changed the world forever.


**Hey** **guys. I've only recently gotten into the Etrian Odyssey series, and I can't believe the amount of potential this series has as a fanfiction writer. You yourself create characters, create a guild, and go out into the world and fight monsters and complete quests. The story is virtually up to your imagination. I found this incredibly appealing, so now, I've taken it upon myself to write a story about one of my characters and their adventures. Hope it turns out to be as epic as I had imagined it to be. P.S- I don't own Etrian Odyssey.**

There are many stories in this world. They vary from tales of epic adventure, to steamy romances, to nightmare giving horror. The abundance of these stories are limitless only to the imagination and proof of those that tell them. Story tellers are widely revered and liked. When one enters a community, almost everyone will surround the teller and settle down, looking forward to the amazing accounts he or she would give, long into the night. Most tales are make believe, made up only so people would goggle and enjoy the ridicules parameters the story followed. Naturally, these spread around the land like dandelion seeds, a hundred blow off of the stem only to land somewhere else and grow into another flower. And the process repeats until one misaid sentence could potential change something in the world.

Naturally, false heroes and villains are born within these accounts. This leads to distrust and suspicion among a community. Someone caught up in the moment of having untrue, fantastic, epic tales told of them will quickly be shot down when told to present some proof. Others however, gain quite a bad reputation. Stories of these individuals depict them teaming up with monsters or putting them under their control. Sometimes, a person will be sent to prison on the basis of a falsely laid story depicting murder or theft, enforcing the fact that humans can be manipulated at will, given the right parameters of course.

Some rumors give life to the fact that these " bad " people go as far as to kidnap villagers of various towns, only to sacrifice them to the monsters that they worship. Such horrible happenings instill fear and despair in the communities and cities of Etrian. Not only this, but monsters prove to be a massive problem on a regular basis. It is not uncommon to hear of various creatures gathering together and raiding a town , slaughtering everything that moves. Monsters live in the forests, deserts, tundras, plains, oceans, and sky of Etrian. Adventures are reminded of the horribly realty of life as they pass towns that were once inhabited. Now, adventures have made a community for themselves that allows their kind to gather and form groups that take on dungeons and that travel together. These adventures of all shapes and sizes go under the name of " Guilders ".

Guilders is a term given to someone that has made or joined a guild while going out adventuring around the land for treasure and fame. A guild can be named anything and many members can join to bolster the ranks. Many cities have a central meeting hall where people of society can leave requests for guilders to complete for a reward. Besides this, guilds send squads out to take on the many dungeons that riddle the terrain of the world, in hope of finding some incredible or rare treasure. As guilds and squads gain prestige, their reputation allows them to take on harder, and more rewarding tasks. Such as raiding an entire dungeons, or taking out a monster nest.

Most squads are limited strictly to five or less people. Many years of the community experimenting with more members in a group have only ended up in tragedy. Any person can become a guilder at the age of eighteen or above, given they are willing to put their lives on the line for exploring the world and battling monsters, not to mention creating or joining their chosen guild in some way. Many teenagers choose this profession, wanting the world to know who they are and how awesome they can be.

Sometimes, inexperience can lead to needless deaths, so most guilders become so in their twenties or thirties. Over the years, a handful of guilds throughout Etrian have made quite a name for themselves. Stories detailing accounts of incredible skill and bravery follow these guilds in their powerful wakes. When a person decides to become a guilder, they must pick a profession. These professions range from a medic, to runemaster, to paladin. Choosing a job that best fits that persons style is important, as it can make or break their success as an adventurer and either help or hinder their team. Many a person have mixed two or even three jobs together to create a hybrid of some sort. However, these combinations rarely work out as each class is wildly different than the rest.

Essentially, the worlds economy revolved around guilders and their organizations. Schools gave lessons ( at an early age ) the bare bones basics of combat, tactics, and what monsters are. Learning this young is important, as monsters are always a threat, no matter where you are. As kids/students grow up, they eventually pick a profession that has something to do with guilds in one way another. Guilds provide for themselves ( money wise ) by adventuring for loot, doctors provide medical treatment to the wounded, farmers provide food for large scale guilds, blacksmiths provide weapons and armor, politicians keep cities in order and send guilds on important quests, inns and bars give a gathering place for adventures to come together and relax when they can, etc.

Without these groups, society would collapse upon itself. Many a person would go jobless, ( given enough time ) monsters would overrun cities, and life would ( all around ) be a hell of a lot harder than it would need to. This, my friends, is where our story starts. The epic and dangerous world of Etrian does not hold back... how will our young hero start his adventure? What kind of people will he meet and where will he travel? What kind of tragedies and triumphs will this person experience? Lets go!

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" Oi. Wake up.(...) Hey. Wake up! " Van could feel a finger poking him in the head as he half lay on the table in front of him, trying to get some sleep." mphh... few more... minutes... " ( a small grunt of frustration ) " Dude, the teachers asked you a question!" he whispered frantically into Vans ear.

As he heard this, Van opened his eyes wide and shot up in his seat, desperately trying to wipe the drool from the side of his mouth as he hit his knees on the ceiling of the desk, earning a painful *thump* that echoed through the classroom. A messy mop of brown hair bounced on his head as he tried to get the stray strands out of slender but decently handsome face. Van rubbed at his eyes only to clear them and see most of the class snickering silently at his sleepiness. His history teacher was giving him an awful look over the top of her glasses.

She closed her book with a small *thunk*. A very small film of dust blew off of the textbook into the streams of sunlight pouring through the window, making the scene that lay before him look almost... pretty. Her voice was nasally and snide, one of the many bad points Van could find in his teacher. " Hmph. I don't suppose you could answer the question I gave you?"

He stuttered for an answer, earning him a few giggles that come from the direction of the girls table. History. History... Something about history... " Um, uh... lake Alquos." Huh? What kind of an answer was that? What did their town lake have anything to do with history. Idiot!

His teacher smirked triumphantly. " Wrong! Five points off todays test." Van groaned in response. She scribbled in her notes, happy that she could punish him for sleeping when she was teaching a class. She opened her book again. " Now, as I was saying, the war of Amerys started because the duke..." She continued to drone on.

Van sighed in defeat and turned in his seat to look his best friend who was holding a hand over his mouth, struggling not to laugh. Van couldn't help but smile. " Ok ok, that was kind of funny." He sighed and lightly shrugged his shoulders pointing to the sunlight that washed over them. " But blame the damn sun, It makes you incredibly sleepy for some reason. Its just so warm!" His friend nodded knowingly, looking at the teacher to make sure he wouldn't get caught.

" I know what you mean, I'm exerting quite a bit of self control right now not to fall asleep. We are going to have a test on this lecture though, so try to pay attention." Van nodded and before he could say something, the teacher closed her book and pointed at his friend.

" OK Arlen, lets see if you were listening instead of talking to your lazy friend." Van bit his lip, holding himself back from giving a biting retort. " How did the duke of Maverick change the way the city worked when he got voted into power?" Instantly, it was like Arlen was a completely different person than the teenager was five seconds ago. His eyes were focused on the blackboard and his mouth started to move, almost automatically.

" The duke of Maverick, or sir Jonathan Maxwell Carter, was an underhanded man. He wanted to start trading with their sister city Ardus which is of course illegal. Still, he sent ships across the Eleryn sea and started trade. This went on for several years as his fortune amassed in the cities treasury. Over those years of his jurisdiction, he laid unfair tax laws and restricted the land trade of the city, therefor weakening the societal structure of the area. Jonathans higher ups were swayed with the promise of money, in turn for breaking the law of separate faction trading. After three years of this, with the tax laws and training, he had amassed approximately ten million mogit. At this point he-" The teacher sighed loudly, cutting him off.

She tightened the smile on her face. She was genuinely glad that someone understood the material well enough to explain it as well as he had if she hadn't of halted him. He had always had a talent to remember information extremely well. " You can stop now Arlen, I suppose you understand it enough to warrant a break fod myself from that explanation." Ms. Overdall grumbled as she returned to the lesson, disappointed in Arlens extreme attention for detail when it came to studying.

As Arlen finished, his posture relaxed and his face fell into the same casual grin he had just a minute ago. Van stared at his friend out of the corner of his eye, amazed. To this day ( they had been friends since the age of 7 ) he was still awed at Arlen's pure will and drive to squeeze every drop of knowledge he could out of their textbooks and lectures. Arlen was just a little bit short than himself who was about six feet tall. A buzz cut barley showed off the blond hair that went nicely with his geekish appearance.

Van sighed and propped his chin onto his two knuckles while turning his attention to the window that showed the east campus lawn of his school under the bright sunlight of summer. It was just so beautiful outside and he had to spend it inside... learning about dead people and forgotten wars. His momentary respite was broken when he saw children playing with a bouncy ball out on the dirt street leading out of the school and into the town. The laughing children couldn't help but bring a smile to his face.

His town, Cobb was a small village. Everyone knew everyone kind of deal. No more than a few dozen houses and some basic facilities like a school, general store, and blacksmith. Van, having grown up here for the entirety of seventeen years, knew this place and the surrounding area like the back of his hand. His mother never let him outside of the village farther than a mile or two, which Van disagreed with vehemently. He wanted to see the outside world. He wanted to explore different lands and find treasure and battle... oh yeah. Monsters. That's why his mother hadn't let him out of the area, he had forgotten.

Everyone knew about the threat of the creatures. Van himself had never encountered one yet, but sometimes at night, he could hear the roars of the beasts deep in the forest, an echo more than anything else. The cry's always gave him the shivers and turned the room incredibly cold. Once, a few years back, a monster somehow got into the village at night, But Van hadn't seen it. Apparently it happened during the night and well, he was asleep. When he woke up, he found the town fountain destroyed. This in itself shocked him as he looked over the ruined stone. The town fountain had been a monument rougly representing the man that had single handedly ended the war so many years ago. People in the village called him Null. Apparently, Null had somehow single handedly changed the way a massive war was being fought. This war was between the west and the east side of the continent. Van absentmindedly looked at the wall to his left to find the world map that he always stared at when he was board.

The continent was essential a massive roughly shaped crescent. The left side of the land mass started down at the tip of a peninsula of a kind. A massive channel of water spanning thirty miles divided the east and the west. This was the freeland of Amerys. As the peninsula eventually broadened out, the land mass slowly curved around the center ocean. This ocean was called the Eleryn sea. The sea was surrounded on all sides by land except for that peninsula that flowed out into uncharted oceans.

To the north of the Eleryn sea was a huge mountain range that spanned the entire North half of the peninsula. The Reonag mountains. The ranges were so tall and vast, not even the best explorers could traverse it. That's were the north side of the map stops. Cobb was located on the lower left area of the farthest tip of the range. Their village was next to a lake that covered about two miles. This lake had been providing clean, sweet water for the village for as long as anyone could remember.

In the middle of the top of the map, was a lush kingdom called Theikon. This kingdom was the neutral ground for the war, not picking either side, trying to stay out of the feud. As the continent lazily curved around Eleryn sea, it reaches a point to where the land simply etched out a massive bay into the main land. This bay was the world trading center for just about anything as far as anyone was concerned. The bay of Narliss was famous for having just about everything possible that money could buy you. From incredible weapons, to exotic food, to pieces of land, to slaves. The last bit of information made him spit at the floor in disgust, checking to make sure the teacher wasn't looking first. How was it possible for someone to have such low morals, that they would go as far as to capture living, breathing human beings with thoughts, emotions, and history's. Selling them at an auction like a piece of furniture or some cattle. He shook his head and looked back at the map on the wall.

Past the bay of Narliss was a massive desert called the Gragarin that covered the top right corner of the map. Past this was nothing. People had tried to cross the desert before, many times in fact. But each one ended at a bad disappearing at night,dehydration, and weird mirages that were really are a few common things that survivors told happened to whomever tried to cross. At this point, the land mass works its way down towards the end of the continent where the land suddenly stopped and the ocean began.

As you travel down the east side of the continent, you pass two kingdoms. The kingdom of Isteroth, and the kingdom of Erenon. These two society's were against the west side which only had one major kingdom, this turned out to be a big advantage in the long run. The combined resources of the two far out weighed the resources of Amerys. To the right of these two societies is another gigantic mountain range, bigger than Reonag. This could also not be traversed. The range ran down the top to lower right side of the map.

That is where the land stops and the channel of water thirty miles wide flows. Past this is unknown oceans. No one had ever ventured past this point in the lands history. In the middle of Etrian, in the smack dab in the middle of the Eleryn sea, is the great tree Yggdrasil. No one knows why it is there or what purpose it serves. Many a warrior had traveled to this tree, promises of finding many riches and loot following in their wake. And many have tried to climb it's mile wide trunks, but none of them ever returned. A strange mist completely covered the top half of the tree, revealing nothing. One could only speculate. Of course, all of this were stories told to them by a traveling teller that passed through their village every few years. He had absolutely no idea if any of this was true. A massive tree sticking out of the ocean? Hed believe it when he see it.

Van suddenly broke out of his informative stupor, he smiled slightly as he was glad that he could remember a little history if any. His mind wandered over to something that the village elders on occasion, since he was on the topic of the war.

The elders in the village sometimes came together at night and told stories of a long since past war that had lasted five long years. How long ago was it? Was it... sixty seven years? Anyways, the war had been going on between the east and the west of Etrian. And what had started this whole thing, was an island. Or, rather, what was on the island. Rozios island was an island discovered about seventy five years ago by a merchant that was sailing home goods to sell. A storm had hit his small trading vessel and he was beached on this island.

After surviving for about a week on this island, he accidentally found a cave that was filled to the brim of titatunite. Van had only seen titatunite once in his life. A roaming warrior that took refuge in Cobb's inn had a necklace made of the stuff. How he acquired such a valuable material was never revealed. Van recalled it was a very dark purple, almost black. He recalled that titatunite was extremely, extremely rare and because of this, incredibly valued as both building material and jewelry.

Something in the mineral made it harder than any other substance on this known earth. The only way one could shape the material at will would be to make titatunite tools. Anyways, after the merchant found this incredible find, he eventually found his way back to port Maverick by passing cargo ship. The duke of Maverick, hearing news of a cave filled with this precious material, immediately sent a mining and gathering vessel out to Rozios island. What they found when they arrived threw them off completely. There, in Rozios bay, were ships from the west! Apparently, news spread faster than lightning when it came to this particular gemstone. A spy from the east must have relayed the news as soon as he/she got wind of it. A carrier bird of some sort was not uncommon to see around the world. Magic was also another way one could relay conversation.

As both sides confronted, they each claimed to have found the cave themselves. Neither could decide who would take the gemstone. Splitting the cave in half was not an option. This material was so valuable, both sides were willing to risk conflict. Eventually, fists were exchanged with harsh words. Sadly, this escalated to swords which, over the course of many months, escalated to a national war. It was a terrible war, shockingly high numbers of casualties and deaths rocked the once peaceful continent to its core. The five years following the discovery of this cave were filled with nothing but the horrible realities that followed war. Families were torn apart. Teenagers and children, forced to fight when one side had no other options. Lives were ruined. homes were destroyed.

Many people thought that this war would destroy the nation from the inside out. Isteroth and Erenon had the advantage in numbers, while Amerys had the better and more advanced technology and more refined troops. Theikon was trying desperately to stay in a neutral position. No one in the kingdom dared think that some mineral was worth more than the lives of the very guilders and citizens that inhabited the lush region. After five long years of the two sides gaining no ground, an odd figure appeared one day in the middle of the battlefield. This war had been fought primarily by sea, the massive sea known as Eleryn setting the stage for the ideal battleground.

Anyways, with various accounts confirming this, an odd figure had appeared out in the middle of the ocean that was staging a sea battle. Apparently, it had been completely covered ( his face including ) in black and white robes that glowed brightly, even in broad daylight. Story has it, it had literally walked out of a mist that was trailing the figure. When Van first heard this from one of the elders, he thought he had misheard. Walked? Walked on the ocean like it was earth? Even the greatest of runemasters could not perform such a feat. Van shook his head yet again, not bothering to fathom on how such a thing would be possible. As the figure walked out onto the water, essential stopping either side from fighting from the pure shock of seeing someone_ walk _on water, he halted in the middle of the channel. Between either sides of the fighting force.

Witnesses say that words were spoken that day from the persons mouth, somehow projecting across the water as easily as if it had been talking right next to you. No one remembers a damn thing from the day though, must have been some sort of spell. After the figure was done speaking his part, he reached into his flowing coat and pulled out what reports say was a tiny, tiny seed. The figure said a few more words before dropping the seed right where he stood on the rolling waves. What happened next was beyond what fairy tales and legends of old depicted as " epic. "

For a few minutes, nothing happened. Absolutely nothing happend. The waves stopped rolling, the wind stopped blowing, and birds feel silent. That day, the earth stood still. Then, all hell broke loose. The earth started to shake. Or, what felt like shaking on the rolling sea. As seconds passed, it got stronger and stronger until something started to break the surface. What ever it had been, it was absolutely gigantic. The shock of the object exiting the ocean had thrown everyone onto the floor boards of the various boats that dotted the The girth of the object covered in mist must have been at least four or five miles.

This object continued to rise, and rise, and rise for what seemed like hours. Neither side of the battle force dared move in fear of the massive thing that seemed to be rising out of the very depths of hell itself. Finally, the structure slowed down and gave one last massive groan of some sort before halting in its tracks. As the bottom half of the fog dissipated, the different nations found themselves staring at a gargantuan base of some sort of tree. The tree reached for into the sky, farther than any human eyes could spot out. The strange, robed figure was standing at the base of the tree, bobbing on the waves that lapped at the trunk. The words that followed from the persons mouth, no one could forget.

" Listen closely, citizens of Etrian. Needless bloodshed has befallen this world, conflict that could have been avoided has sparked between two great nations. Fighting over such a trifle makes this a sad day for the human race." It stopped and turned towards the massive tree, pointing at it through its robes. " This tree is the last hope for humanity. It is called, Yggdrasil. This tree represents both the hatred, and love that has been building in between the great nations for the last millennia." It dropped its arm and turned towards the two fleets of ships. " Inside of this tree, you will find treasure and glory beyond your wildest dreams. Incredibly powerful monsters also inhabit its depths, making a trip inside of the tree would be almost suicide. Even for the most experienced and weathered warriors. "

It stopped again and without missing a beat, pointed directly above it towards the mist that covered the middle to top half of the structure. " At the top of this tree, should someone make it, lies the key to the world. This key will give the person a choice. To either save, or destroy Etrian. It is up to them. In essence, that person can shape and form the world to his liking. I hope in time, mankind will make the right decision." It dropped its arm. " Monsters will continue to grow more and more intelligent, making it harder and harder to survive. In a hundred years, the monster population will boom. The count will be enough to the point that humans will be overrun and exterminated. It does not matter how many of the creatures you slay now, it is written in stone. The world key is your only hope. "

At this he began to slowly float up into the surrounding mist of the mile high canopy. A trail of water followed him into the air. " Remember humans, I did not create you to fight amongst yourselves, I created you to survive. You must banish this foolish war and work together or eventually, you will all... die." These where its last words before it disappeared from view.

Almost immediately, the two sides made a hasty and temporary truce, and returned to their respective cities and villages. The war, was done. Although, to this day, there was still bad blood between the east and the west. Grudges had been held for the last sixty seven years and they did not look like they were going anywhere anytime soon. Thus, trade and communication was virtually illegal between the two sides.

This had always been Vans favorite story to listen to. It had never changed over the years despite the unique versions each teller had warped and twisted over the years. Of course, no one could verify that any of this was actually true. Still, the prospect of reaching the top of the tree within the next thirty three years sounded like a lost hope. Many had tried to climb the trunks, but every single one of the guilds that had been sent out was annihilated. Van suddenly blinked as he reconnected with the real world and briefly looked around. The sun was still high in the sky... how long had he been out of it? He looked over to the clock and saw six pm written on the dials.

He sighed and tried to listen to the last bits of his teachers lecture. The dull, nasly monotone of her voice made him feel a lot more sleepy than he was supposed to be. Hearing Alren chuckle to the right of him, he turned with a question on his face. Arlen chuckled lightly again.

" You get like that sometimes man. Spacing out for long periods of time, your imagination and dreams flashing quite obviously across your face. You were thinking about joining a guild. Right?"

Van nodded slightly, joining a guild had been his dream for the past ten years. The sheer prospect of adventuring out into unknown terrain with comrades, fighting all kinds of monster, seemed like an incredibly good idea. No worries or cares, just doing whatever the hell you want to, whenever. As soon as he turned eighteen, hed be out of here. Not for good of course, he would come back and visit occasionally, bringing tales of his escapades and showing of awesome armor and battle scars.

Arlen sighed as he saw his best friend nod slightly, the glory of his make believe quests showing in his face. " You know, you could just become a guild administrator like me and live a nice, comfy, easy life eh?" Arlen prodded Van in the ribs with his elbow, and sly look on his face. Van grumbled in frustration, knowing what was coming. " Imagine it now, all the food and drink a person can handle, an incredibly easy job, and a great place to meet some ladies!" His eyes began to glaze over as he some how over exaggerated something about eating a delicious meal, and kissing a beautiful girl.

Van smacked his own forehead and proceeded to bop his friend over the side of his head, disappointed at Arlens attempt to persuade him to join the easy life. His reasoning were a little off today. As Arlen corrected himself in his chair, still blown back by the smack to his head, Van thought once again on his friends offer. He did have to admit, working as a guild administrator did seem like a great job. All you had to do was sign some paper work, and assign quests to various guilds all day. The allure of this was quickly destroyed as he thought about the wide open wilderness and exploration. No. His mind was set. He would make his own guild as soon as humanly possible. Hopefully, he could make some new comrades to boot as well.

The grand guild could be found in a city called Tharsis. Located on the eastern side of the east peninsula. This city was the place that normal people could become guilders and found ( or join ) a guild. The city hall was the meeting place for famous guilds all over the east side of the continent. This would be Vans first destination on the road to become a guilder and adventurer as soon as he turned eighteen. Arlen also had planes to come to this city as well, to work as an administrator of course. His friend had sent out a letter about a year ago asking registration to become one. Only in the past month did he get a response, saying he was eligible. All he would have to do is go to the city and take some sort of test that confirmed his abilities.

Getting to Tharsis however, would be a completely different story. In Between Cobb and Tharsis was a very big mountain range called the Leranos mountains. He had calculated ( by the look of it on the map ) That it would take him about two weeks to traverse the bumpy terrain. There was a lake inside the range along with a little town that went by the name of Shale. This would be the ideal route except for the fact that powerful monsters roamed the mountains. Getting caught between a monster and a hard place would not be on his bucket list anytime soon. There was one other way someone could get to Tharsis.

On the east side of the mountains, facing the oceans, is a strip of forest that runs down the coast line into the beginning of the peninsula. This route would take considerably longer, about a month before he reached his destination with measured travel. However, it was a lot safer than the mountain trail. The forests and beaches were not known to have strong monsters, and the terrain gave him a lot more breathing room. He had decided a few weeks back that he would go the forest trail, if only so he wouldn't die before even becoming a guilder.

* ding dong * Van jumped as the afternoon bell rang out clear and loud, signaling the end of another school day. Today was a friday so he could get some much need rest over the weekend. The school days had been long and arduous, filled with memorizing notes and answering stupid math questions. The only thing Van found interesting about this week was the fact that they just started to learn about runes. Runes were a form of magic that runemasters could use both in, and out of battle. These uses ranged from a fireball, to lifting something that would be to heavy to without. Runemasters were world renowned to be some of the most powerful guilders in recent history. Grand tales of epic and complicated runes that unleashed unbelievable power. He quickly got out of his seat along with Arlen and made for the door.

" Ok class, don't forget to study up on those basic runes that we went over yesterday! Its due on monday and we have a test on the material wednesday! " Mrs. Overdall huffed to herself as barley any students even recognized she was even talking. Hmph. Teenagers.

Van and Arlen waded through the throng of people that were coming out of various classes. Laughter and good cheer rang out from either side as friends met up with friends to go outside and do whatever they did on friday evenings. Their school was fairly large, accommodating to the fairly large amount of kids that resided in the town. The school was a hot pot for all ages. Kids, to tweens, to teens. The building was one story and divided into three sections for each age bracket, making navigating the school a simple task. As Van passed the kids wing on his way to the exit, he couldn't help but recall fond memories of his youth.

Oh! There was the wall that he had put a dent in from running down the hall as fast as possible, away from some class bullies he had called ( rightfully so ) bad names. And that was the room he made Ms. Taled faint from bringing in a dead rat for show and tell. As a kid, he had been a little bit of a trouble maker and class clown. Jumping at every opportunity he had to make someone laugh. This had given him quite the reputation, as one could see from the school records. As he got older however, he became more serious about life in general. Facing the reality that he couldn't afford to goof off. To many things to do. At seven, he had decided that he would grow up to be a guilder.

As the years flew by, he quickly deduced that he wanted to become a landsknecht. This was a base form of warrior that focused on a good offense and defense. A sword and shield or mace were some of the classic weapons this class used. Now, this particular job being up close and personal, he forced himself to work out at least an hour a day, if so he could keep in great physical shape. At the age of eleven, he had saved up enough money ( from doing various chores around town ) to buy, in secret, a short sword and shield from a passing item vender. He tried to get in as much practice as humanly possible, sneaking out at night and trying out different stances and attacks against forest trees that weren't far from the village. Well, at least he instructed himself as much as one could without any prior experience.

After a solid six and a half years of messing about with his sword and shield, ( which he had promptly named " old faithful " ) he had indeed become insanely familiar with the weapon and could execute complex, self taught maneuvers that he thought would be so cool to use against an enemy. Of course, he hadn't actually faced any sort of monster yet, so the results of his years of training couldn't be tested quite yet. Old faithful had gotten its share of bruises and scrapes from him cutting up hundreds of trees, not to mention the blade was beginning to rust just a little bit from natural wear and tear. Van had diligently kept the blade in tip top shape though, making sure he always had a spare whetstone or cleaning cloth on hand when practicing. Honestly, it was a miracle that no one in his family of four had found the suspicious markings only a few hundred yards from his house in a small forest to the north.

By now, he and Arlen had exited the school and were walking right into the warm embrace of sunlight that was summer afternoon. Van stopped to take in a deep breath through his nose, exhaling with a sigh of satisfaction. Summer was his favorite season. He loved everything about it. The sleepy heat, the beautiful days, the smell of lush greenery, sleeping with a reason to take off all of your bed sheets cause its so hot, that sort of thing. He hated frigid weather though. If snow wasn't so cold, he might actually like winter.

Van and his friend exited the school grounds and slowly made their way across the dirt road that was laid out between the school, and the town center. For many years, this had been the pairs routine. Get out of school, walk to town center, get some stuff to eat from the general store, and just relax for a few minutes before returning to each of their busy lives. Van had found this to be very relaxing when they first did it, calming his always working mind, and slowing down the day to a manageable pace.

Arlen and him took their regular seats at the base of an oak tree that provided merciful shade. Arlen looked at Van and smirked. " Your turn. I paid for it yesterday."

" Yeah, yeah I know. I'll make sure to get the most unhealthy stuff they have, for your sake," Van said as he got up, a grin on his face.

Arlen scoffed at this. " Don't you give me a lecture on eating right. As I seem to recall, your the one that gets the unhealthy food on a daily basis. Its a wonder that your still physical fit with the mountains of sweets you eat. " He pointed a finger accusingly at his best friend. A grim look on his face. " My funds took a crushing blow yesterday because of you," Arlen said as he sadly patted his near empty wallet sitting in one of his pockets.

Van laughed out loud as he walked towards the store, talking loudly over his shoulder. " You know me, I have a thing for sweets! I'll get make sure to get get some," Van said as he waved a brief goodbye without turning around.

Arlen sighed as he watched Van walk away. Knowing him, he'd take his time returning with the goods. Still, waiting for the early dinner to arrive was much better than paying for it. Every day, they switched food duty. If only so they could share the cost of the food. He grimaced as he thought about what Van would buy. He hated sweets. The sugar coated candies had never appealed to him very much at all. Even in childhood. He had always prefered simple food like bread, or cheese.

Arlen blinked as the heat of the day caught up with him, washing a spell of warmth sleep over his body. He yawned and found a more comfortable position with the tree. He was tired from the day. Even whizes like him found school work taxing on the brain. Smiling slightly, he closed his eyes, and feel into a happy slumber.

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Van walked with a happy gait to his step, humming as he walked. He couldn't help it. School was out and he was free, not to mention it was the weekend. He looked towards the sky to see the sun was slowly making its way down to the horizon. Rays of light shot out of the frames of buildings that he moved slowly in the village. Sure, there where chores to do, crops to tend to, and school work to finish. But... it just wasn't enough for him. He wanted adventure. Excitement. The thrill finding a place that hadn't been discovered yet by anyone.

Obviously, living in this town couldn't give that to him. He felt almost, trapped. Trapped by the endless chores, endless homework, and endless... time spent doing nothing. Sure, he loved his family and friends a lot, but in a way, he wanted to get away from them. To get away from the boring life of an everyday villager. Still, he wasn't old enough yet. Just one more month to the day, and he'd be out of this place. Not for good of course, but he'd get away for a few years and quench his thirst for adventure.

At this point, he was walking into the main village square. Or rather, circle to be picky. In the center of this circle, was the statue of the strange being that stopped the war year ago. It was built for the reason of reminding everyone that monsters were always a common presence, and not to stray to far from the village borders. It had been constructed entirely from eye witness accounts told through the a teller that passed by a few decades ago. A few benches dotted the grounds of the square. Surrounding the statue, were various shops and small restaurants built in a circle around the figure. There was the general store, blacksmith, a small clinic, and inn, and two small restaurants. One was called the " the pub." This fine establishment was run by a hardy man called Girth that had opened the bar exclusively for adults of all kinds to come and have some fun with booze and food.

One to many bar fights have occasionally broken out every one or two months, showing the fact that people disagreed with each other, and sometimes resolved that problem with their fists.

The other restaurant, well cafe really, was called the " Cats Meow." This name was given because the family that runs it, well, loves cats. It was established by a father daughter team that served up breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with some tea that they had forever amounts of. Van and Sophie ( the daughter who was his age ) had been friends since they were five. Twelve years if friendship had bonded them to the point of each other being extremely comfortably with each other. ( not to mention they were both incredibly innocent ) Van approached the cafe, and opened the door. A small *cling cling* went off as he walked through.

A few villagers were sitting around, having afternoon tea and enjoying the warmth of the sunlight shining through the glass windows that dotted the wooden walls. He got a few warm hello's as he approached the counter. * ding ding * rang the bell that Van had touched to announce a customer. " Coming!" The voice that rang out was high and mellow. Van watched as Sophie walked into the counter area, wiping her hands furiously on her apron, trying to get some flour off. He had watched her grow over the years and years he had been friends with her, so she hadn't really looked to different to him. She was about 5'6 with light green hair that was almost always tied in a pony tail of some sort. Her mint green hair framed her round but pretty face.

" What can I get-" was all she said before she recognized her friend. The warm smile spread across here face. She then proceeded to waggle her finger in mock disappointment at her friend. " Ah, so he finally decides to show his face Mr. I cant visit you cause I have school and chores."

Van sighed and reached over the counter to point at her feet, giving her a grim look. " You shoe laces are untied," he simply said.

" Huh? I could've sworn I-," she didn't get any farther as she tried to look down at her shoes only to have Van lightly flick her nose. She gasped and held her stinging nose with a hurt face as Van laughed uproariously at her reaction, getting several amused looks from the villagers in the cafe.

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed at his laughing, waiting until he was done wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. " Why do you always do that? You know I have a terrible memory for this sort of thing... hmph. I take it you don't want any food then?" Sophie smiled evilly as she got the reaction she was looking for. He stopped laughing and immediately started to apologize. The prospect of not getting some of her incredible sandwiches was to much for him to bear.

" No! Um. I mean, please don't. I'm sorry and I wont do it again! Please?"

She looked over at Van with one eye, taking in his groveling. " Are you really sorry?" He nodded with sincerity. Sophie looked thoughtful for a minute before finally caving in. She couldn't help it when Van was like this. She clapped her hands together and grinned. " Well in that case, I better start cooking!"

Van instantly cheered up and smiled, thankful she hadn't punished him to severely. " Thank you, I'll try to restrain myself next time. Promise." She nodded approvingly and started to travel to different points of the kitchen behind the counter, gathering up the materials she'd need for a proper lunch.

Van sat down at the nearest table and watched Sophie flurry busily around the kitchen, humming cheerfully as she cooked. She hadn't changed one bit over the years. Cooking had always been something she had enjoyed doing with a passion, often making complex and delicious meals as a child. As they grew up and started to take school more seriously, Sophie had to bail in order to keep up with taking care of the cafe. Honestly, the restaurant life fit her much better than school ever had. Her father had practically given her the restaurant at fifteen, telling Sophie it was on her shoulders whether or not the cafe continued to succeed.

Sophie had plans to stay with the cafe for as long as she lived. Perfectly happy with serving the villagers that she knew and loved. Van paused for a second, he hadn't yet told her that he was planning to leave the town. How would she take it? They had become almost like brother and sister, thinking about a day without seeing each other seemed almost alien to him. He knew he'd have to leave behind his emotions and focus on succeeding as a guilder, or he'd become to homesick to take a step away from his home.

* ding ding * " It's ready!" Van looked up from his table to see the familiar sight of the arranged lunch that he loved on the got up and walked over, his mouth already drooling. " How much do I owe you?"

She waved him off nonchalantly. " Oh stop it, you don't have to pay for it dummy. Its on the house!"

Van shook his head and before she could react, quickly pulled out a few mogit coins and tossed them onto the table. " I want to pay for it. It wouldn't be fair to these villagers if I was the only one that got a best friends discount now would it?

Sophie looked at the money with a torn expression before lamenting and pocketing the few coins. " Fine. But I don't have to like it. Next time I'll get you a lunch without money involved, believe it!" She said with a fiercely determined expression on her face. As Van walked towards the door, her face lit up as she remembered something. " Oh Van!"

He stopped in the door way, a question on his face.

" I added a different spice to the sandwiches, you have to tell me how it tastes! Promise me? "

He smiled and nodded. " I promise. Cant wait to try it!"

She grinned and turned to resume her busy work. Van walked through the door and onto the street, not looking back at the quaint little cafe as the little * ding ding * went off behind him. Little did he know, that those words that had come from her mouth, would be the last that he would hear from her for a very, very long time.

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He took his time. He always took his time returning to Arlen with the food. The reason for this is because he loved to look at the various stalls and shops that temporary vendors set up along the middle of town. There were always a few, trying to sell their various wares. Weapons and armor were always an interest to Van. He drooled over the magic swords and impenetrable shield that lined the racks of most sellers. Of course, most of these items were ridiculously expensive. The higher end weapons selling for upwards of two thousand mogit, which was way out of his price range.

Today however, there was only one vender lining the street. He walked up to the tent, curious as to what was inside. He opened the flap, and was greeted with a mass of weapons lining the cloth walls of the small, makeshift store. Van walked up to a awesome looking blue tinged short swords and touched it. A jolt of painful electricity ran through him, effectively throwing him onto the floor.

" Oi, are you ok? That sword is enchanted to run about ten thousand volts through it."

Van looked up to see a slender girl with light brown eyes staring at him a few feet away. She had dark red hair that extended down on either sides of her face while the back must have been pulled into a ponytail. Her bangs framed a well stylized face that was pretty but serious. She extended her hand down and he took it. She had pulled him up with ease.

She gave him a brief look up and down. " Like I said, are you alright? That swords must've hurt."

He nodded warily. " Yeah I'm fine. Guess it was the unexpected shock that threw me off balance." He briefly stretched his muscles and was surprised to feel them pop painfully, earning a gasp of surprise from his mouth.

She nodded sagely. " Yup. Electricity can seize up and tighten muscles in higher doses making it a pain in the ass to get stretched out."

He smiled slightly. " You sound like your speaking from experience."

She blushed and stammered slightly. " Wha- what? Of course im not speaking from experience. Only an idiot would go and touch unknown magical weapons like that!" She paused briefly and remembered something. " Oh yeah, I don't even know your name." She promptly extended her hand once again and grinned. " I'm Sasha. Sasha Braus. "

He nodded and returned the hand. " Nice to meet you Sasha. I'm Van. Van Glass." They shook hands and Van almost winced at how much of a firm handshake she had despite her appearance.

She let go and walked over to a tiny, makeshift counter that was at the end of the small tent. Sitting down in a wooden chair and putting her feet up on the tiny counter, she promptly pulled out an apple and started munching on it. *mph* " We have " *munch* " A lot of swords " *munch crunch * " To choose from. Sasha could barley get the words out as she greedily chewed on the apple. " Take you *munch crunch munch* time."

He couldn't help but laugh out loud at this girls antics. The sight of her trying to say words with half an apple inside of her mouth was to much for him.

She finished off the apple and threw the core out of the tent flap... only to pull out another apple from one of her coat pockets. She looked at him, then to the apple before deciding. Sasha held it out. " Want it? I have like, ten others so It wont be my loss."

Surprised, he nodded and gave her a grateful look. " Thanks. Can't remember the last time I had a decent apple." He caught the fruit as she threw it to him across the small room. Biting into the supple item, he realized just how tasty and fresh it was. Without a second thought, he plowed through it quicker than she had with hers. " Thanks for that, nothing like an apple!"

Sasha nodded as she tucked into another luscious fruit.

Suddenly, the days mission to bring back the food to Arlen suddenly pounced on his mind. He looked apologetically at Sasha. " Sorry but I have to get going. Nice meeting you and thanks for the apple!"

Sasha waved him off in goodbye as she focused on eating the fruit as efficiently as possible.

He stepped out of the tent, pushing the flap of cloth out of his way. The warm summer air was like a greeting from an old friend. Nice, and very welcome. Van turned to look over at the horizon, shaking his head at what he saw. The sun was about to set, giving way to the fact that Arlen would not be to happy with his delay to bring the goods. He'd have to give them to him tomorrow, apology in tow. Sighing as he went, Van started to make his way back to his home on the outskirts of town. Vans house was about a mile off of the borders of Cobb, allowing a nice and laid back lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of life in the core of business.

Passing the town well, he tossed a spare mogit coin into the depths of the hole, hearing a satisfying * splosh * as the coin hit the water. Briefly in his mind, he wished to get out of this village and out into the world as soon as possible. Also adding in ( as a side note ) that he wanted to become a famous adventurer and eventually form his own guild.

As he thought this in his mind, a cold breath of wind blew over his neck, stopping him in his tracks. A chill ran down his spine as he turned to confront this strange cold wind. He looked around the village. He saw a citizen walking his dog, and some children playing on the side walk like any other day. Something seemed... off about the whole scene. Something he couldn't quite put his tongue on. The street lamps flared into life suddenly, shocking him out of his thoughtful stupor. It was beginning to get dark, he was grateful for the extra light. Van grinned as he shook his head and started walking again, dismissing the ridicules idea that the strange wind had anything to do with anything.

He continued to stroll towards his home, failing to notice the faint roar that sounded from the forest surrounding the town.

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The dirt crunched beneath his boots, echoing through the trees, making the sound much louder than it actually was. The path to his house had always been a peaceful one, allowing Van to console with his thoughts quietly, rather than trying to think at home. Home had always been a busy place.

His mother was of medium height, slim, and an extremely homely and cheerful woman. Her hair was always in a tight, brown bun that never changed, no matter the weather. Van always found a batch of cookies or a sandwich laying in wait at the kitchen table when he got back from school, this was one of the things he loved about her. His mother also loved to shower him with gifts of food and love. Not to mention, she adored to cook. Over the years, her meals had gained a fierce reputation as some of the best in town, rivaled only by Sophie.

The two often had a friendly competition to see which which of them was the better cook. Van's mom usually won. Her years of experience overriding Sophie's wild and amazing ideas. His father was taller than himself and very well built. He worked as a doctor that often went out of town for long periods of time, tending to various cases of sickness and injury across Etrian. This lent itself the fact the Van didn't get to communicate with his father very much.

A quick hello here and there while he was home was all the two ever said to each other. Van hated that. He never got to spend time with his dad, not even once. The closet the two had ever gotten to bonding was when Van told his father what he had done in school yesterday. A grunt was the only response he got and then bam, his dad was gone again. Van was disgusted by his fathers disregard for his children. His goddamn flesh and blood.

His sister was another story. She loved to draw and talk about random stuff that was going on. Talking more than anything was he habit. She was seven. Now, of course, being a seven year old she was incredibly annoying all the time. She bugged him while he was doing homework, she bugged him while he was reading, she bugged him when he was eating, it got well... annoying. He didn't really mind her though, she was just doing what a seven year old would normally do, and she was family.

He stopped at the wicker gate that lined the fence and did its best to guard his house... his home from intruders. The house he was staring at was fairly big for a one story home. The wood gutter outlined the white paint on the walls nicely and a puff of smoke was coming from the chimney. He sighed happily. The quaint scene that lay before him was beautiful. The windows shone with light that spread across the rows of field surrounding the house, giving the grass a small glow.

Van continued to walk the well beaten path he knew so well and approached the door. pausing before he went in. He braced himself for impact and opened the door. Sure enough, as soon as he stepped through the frame of the house, a golden haired object flew through the air and impacted with Vans chest, knocking the wind out from him.

He looked down to see a freckled faced, grinning girl.

She laughed in delight. " Your home brother! How was school?"

He chuckled at her never ending enthusiasm. " It was fine. Are you going to let go now? I'm choking here."

Her face paled when she thought she was restricting air from him and promptly let him go. A worried look on her face. " You o.k bro?"

He nodded, a grim look on his face. " I could have died and you saved me. I suppose that warrants some kind of a reward." A sly smile spread across his face and he began to tickle her viciously.

She squealed in laughter and tried to run for the safety of her mothers skirt, only to break down on the floor, gasping for breath as she giggled herself out. Van walked up and poked her in the forehead. " I win."

She huffed in a very displeased way. " You always win, it's not fair that I'm so ticklish." She pointed a finger at him. " Your a big meanie," she promptly exclaimed before running for the safety of the kitchen, seeking refuge behind her mothers skirt.

Van looked around the main living room, soaking in the decor of the house like he always did. The wall to his right held the shoe and coat rack, numerous pairs of his sisters shoes littered the floor. To the left of him lay the living room wall with a nice little fire place that the family lit when the weather got cold. They constantly kept a decent amount of firewood outside in the tool shed, a necessity when you live out in the wilderness. Inside of the main room lay a sofa and a few chairs. This area was more commonly than not used by his mother and her reading group. They often spent long afternoons discussing books that they read together.

Obviously, this was something that he didn't want to get into. His mother had often times tried to convince him to join in the "fun" but to no avail. Spending his evening discussing old authors and forgotten text wasn't his idea of a fun time.

Before he could further examine the room that was so familiar to him, Vans mother walked through the kitchen door, a stern expression on his face. " Van, how many times have I told you not to tickle your sister like that? She's still giggling in the kitchen, I can't cook with interruptions like that!" She crossed her arms.

Van looked down at the floor, goodly sorry about the situation he had caused. " I'm sorry mother, didn't mean to get her so riled up."

His mom stared at her son for a second more before sighing loudly and crossing the room , approaching him. She got close and tried to fix the edges of his jacket that was lopsided. " Oh... I'm not mad Van. You know how I get when I have to deal with your sister twenty four seven," she whispered. ( a long pause ) " I know how you want to join the guilders in Tharsis. You sister told me," she said quietly.

Vans head shot up in surprise. He had never told his sister that he wanted to join the guilders. Damn it. Arlen or one of his other friends must of told her.

The pleading look that spread on his mothers face didn't surprise him at all. " Don't do it son. Do you know how many guilders get killed out there? Hundreds!" She spat out the last word with so much contempt it even shocked Van. She never did things like this.

His mother took both of his hands in hers and gave one last attempt, the edges of tears welling up in her eyes. " I know I can't stop you when you turn eighteen but please... please reconsider! You could work in the cafe with Sophie or... work as a farm hand. Anything but going out and getting needlessly slaughtered by monsters. What is to gain from this?"

Van pushed her hand away, mad at her attempt to rein him in and stay in the confines of the village. "I want to see the world, not just stay in the village forever!" He gestured to the window. " Don't you want to know whats out there? To experience adventure and explore different cities and lands? I can't be a slave to village life, doing the same routines over and over again."

Her face softened. " I know... I'm just worried about your safety, that's all." She turned to walk towards the kitchen. " I'm sorry for caring so much," and with that, she exited the room.

Van instantly knew he had gone to far. He wanted to apologize to her but at the same time, he didn't. Sighing in frustration, he walked to the far left corner of the room and walked through a hallway, entering the doorway to his own room. Closing the door behind him, he slumped against the wall. Thoughts ran through his head as he dropped the back pack from his arms, earning a thump that jarred the wood floor.

Why didn't his mother understand what he wanted? Why did she try so hard to keep him within calling distance? Of course, a mother would worry... but still. He walked over to his bed and promptly fell upon the cushy sheets. Turning around, he stared at the wooden ceiling. The same ceiling he had always turned to when thoughts revolved in his mind.

He did have some homework that needed to be tended to, but that could wait. Sleep came first. Van closed his eyes and got comfortable, cloths and all in his bed. Sleep came quickly, the sound of his mother cooking echoed through the halls.

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_Van... -ak up! Van! Wake u-... Van wake up! _" Huh?" Van jarred awake in his sleep. A cold sweat running down his chest. What just happened? He looked around only to find no one but himself in the room. He got up and stretched, popping all of the sore muscles in his body, remembering the days events. "What time is it?" He said to himself as he crossed the room to turn on the light. Eleven thirty at night. Van wondered if his mom had left out food for him, she usually did. When the light came on, he noticed something very strange. There was... smoke in his room.

Quite a bit actually. What the hell was smoke doing in his room? Van coughed as he realized that this wing of the house was much hotter than it was supposed to be. He began to go for the door but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard something that ran awful chills down his spine. Screams could be heard from the inside of the house. Why was someone screaming? Was it his mother and sister? It had to be.

Van began for the door only to stop in his tracks again, a terrible thought entering his mind. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together. The smoke streaming through the door and the heat. It must have been a fire. Wait... a fire? Mom was always so careful when she cooked and his sister was forbidden to go near the matches. They must be in trouble!

Van shook his head and took two long, frantic strides to the door and opened it. A massive wave of incredible heat hit Van in the face, making him take a few steps back. He put his arms up and ran headlong through the flames that were greedily licking the edges of the hallway to his room.

Entering the living area, he stopped in shock at the scene that lay before him. His home had been transformed seemingly into a living hell. Fire lined the carpets and engulfed the walls, making its way up to the ceiling rafters. Household items lay about in charred ruins, family pictures and stuffed toys lay strewn about. He choked on the huge amount of smoke that surrounded him, his eyes watered up in response. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a nearby cleaning cloth from a drawer and held it to his mouth, effectively blocking the smoke out.

The heat was almost to much for him to bear, and every second it seemed like it got hotter and hotter. Turning his attention to the kitchen area, he ran inside the doorway. The kitchen was ruined. Pots and pans lay discarded in every direction and food items stained the floor. He stopped for a moment, cold shivers invading his body, ignoring the heat that surrounded him. There was... blood splashed on the wall. Fresh blood. It had dripped off of the wood walls, forming a shallow pool at the floor. From there it ran off into the living room and outside.

His mind went into overdrive. Why the hell was there blood on the walls? Where was his sister and mother? Was this their blood? He shook his head in disbelief. No. It couldn't be. Who would cause thi-. He was interrupted by a screeching nose that resounded outside of the house. The sound ran Vans blood cold and his hands started shaking in fear. It was a roar. A roar of a monster.

First, denial flooded into his head followed by despair, followed by pure fury. Did the monsters do this? Were they the ones that set fire to his home and injured his family. Van fists began to shake from pure, cold hatred. His nails dug so hard into his palm, beads of blood flowed from them onto the floor. He gritted his teeth so hard they cracked. I'll kill them. I'll kill them all! Just you wait! With that bloodthirsty thought in his head, he ran for the door faster than he had ever run, ignoring the searing pain from the scorching flames that gropped at his legs.

Van jumped out of the door, briefly thankful for the night air that cooled his burns. He looked towards the village and saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life. His village... Cobb was destroyed. Flames covered the houses and rubble lined the streets. He could see monsters of all sorts parading across the village, killing the people he knew and loved with out mercy. Their blood covered the streets. He could tell from here. The glow from the town burning lit up the small valley like a candle.

One could sat it was almost... pretty the way the flames danced on the trees.

" V- Van?" He turned around in shock at his mothers voice. He had prayed for good fortune, but what lay before Van drove him to his knees, salty tears flowing freely down his eyes and onto the grass. His mother was there... her bottom half trapped underneath the rubble of one side of the fallen house. And... his sister was there to... laying face down in the grass, blood covering the dirt that she fell on. His sister didn't move.

Without a second to grieve for his sibling, he got off his knees and ran to his mothers side. Her face was pale , despite the blood the was painted on her cheek. With her eyes open wide, tears of pure despair ran through them. She spoke quickly, without pause, looking around as if something was approaching. " Van, you need to listen to me. You need to run. Run as fast as you can away from here. My legs have been crushed by the rubble, I can't join you.

Van shook his head in defiance. " No! I won't leave you. I'll... I'll carry you!" He shouted as he desperately tried to lift the wooden beam that was on her legs, ignoring the splinters. His fingers cracked under the impossible weight.

She turned to him, a pleading look on her eyes. " Why won't you ever listen to me? " She screamed. " You need to survive and live in this world! I can't move and you can't lift that beam... please just go." Van once again shook his head and tried to lift the massive piece of wood, his muscles screaming in pain at the hopeless odds. Before Van could do any more, a hand grabbed his arm and started to drag him away from the house at an alarming rate. He turned to see the girl he had met in the streets.

Sasha. She didn't look back as she ran with him down the hill, away from the house... away from his mother. Before they could get away, another roar rang out in the night sky. He turned to see a terrifingly massive red dragon approaching the demolished house, it's eyes set on his mother. " No! Stay away from her you son a-" A hand wrapped around his mouth. Sasha looked towards him, tears in her eyes.

" We can't give our position away... I'm sorry." He shook his head and turned towards his mother, still trapped in the rubble.

She watched the two run down the hill, away from the house. She reached out her arm, trying to grab her retreating son as he made his escape, thankfulness across her face. " Survive Van! Survive for both of us!" She cried out. Her eyes widened as it suddenly hit her. She would never see her husband, son, or daughter again. Memories of their life as a family flashed through her eyes. The day she married her husband, the days she had her children, camp outs in the nearby woods, cooking for everyone... She put her hand over her mouth to keep her from choking on tears, her body shaking as the sobbing increased. " Don't go... please don't leave me... come back" She whispered softly, wishing he could hear.

The dragon landed in front of her, shaking the ground that Van walked on. The pair were a few hundred yards from the house now, almost to safety. Van looked back and dragged his feet in the dirt, stopping both him self and Sasha as they watched the awful scene. Time seemed to slow down as Van watched the dragon dig through the rubble, searching for just another meal. It picked his mother up. He could see her desperately beating on its fist, trying to get set down.

The creature brutally tore her in half, severing her spine. She hung limply in hits paws, already dead . It slowly raised her into it's mouth. Van gave one last, desperate cry of defiance. " Mom... Nooo!" Van screamed before the closed its mouth, her blood flying into the air. Almost like fireworks. Vans wails of despair could be heard a mile away. He would have continued had Sasha not knocked him out. The only thing that remained of the burnt house in the morning, was his mothers old, burnt shoes. A symbol of tragedy and despair that Van would hold onto for a very, very long time

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**So guys. What did you think of chapter one? I have so many more ideas for this story. Can't wait to put them all down In an epic story like this! Leave and review and whatnot. Thanks guys!**

**Playing - Tales of the Abyss, Pokemon Y, and Super Mario Bros 3 ( trying for speed runs )**


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